Posts Tagged ‘climate change’

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Below, is a re-post from one of our sister publications, Windermere Sun.

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National Weather Service map with the new purple color to delineate high rainfall levels (presented at WindermereSun.com)

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With water and massive damage of Hurricane Harvey continue to rise, and the death toll from the storm reaching 30, the National Weather Service (NWS) had to add a new color purple to indicate the unprecedented rainfall level that has occurred during the Storm/Hurricane Harvey since its landfall at Rockport, TX, on last Friday. NWS added two purple shades to its map because the old scale topped out at more than 15 inches while the new limit tops at 30 inches. Even though this is the most powerful storm that has hit Texas in more than 50 years and the worst flooding disaster in U.S. history, many experts and meteorologists believe that climate change will continue to fuel massive storms like Hurricane Harvey in the future. As Houston is experiencing its third 500-year flood in 3 years and 25 separate 500-year floods have occurred across the USA since 2010, it is conceivable that this will be our new normal.

Below, you will find an interview by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now and discussion with David Helvarg, Executive Director of Blue Frontier, an ocean conservation organization, on the subject of how climate change is fueling massive storms such as Hurricane Harvey.

David Helvarg comments that these flood zones will become more water logged as the sea level rises at Texas and Louisiana coast, South Florida, etc. The prediction is such that there may be about 3-6 feet or more of sea level rise in the coming decades, with the continuing global warming. The two 10,000 year rain events in two years is becoming the new normal. Despite the Trump administration’s denial of climate change, there are many measures that individual states and cities may take in helping to slow down the climate change: installing more renewables such as solar and wind, transitioning into electric vehicles, reducing food waste and increasing local food productions, recycling, reusing, reducing, etc.

There had been more than 1,200 people who died amid flooding in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India. This year’s monsoon season has brought torrential downpours that have submerged wide swaths of South Asia, destroying tens of thousands of homes, schools, and hospitals and affecting up to 40 million people. Aid organizations are warning that this is one of the worst regional humanitarian crises in years, with millions of people facing severe food shortages and disease caused by polluted flood water. Flood victims in southern Nepal say they have lost everything. Below, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now speaks with Asad Rehman, Executive Director of “War on Want“. Director Rehman has worked on climate change issues for over a decade.

To see what actions Central Floridians in Orlando (esp. Mayor Dyer and his team) have been pursuing in their effort to slow down the climate change, please view our previous post on Florida Climate Summit at Orlando in August, 2017. Perhaps you can also initiate and/or encourage people in your communities to transition into renewables such as solar and wind, electric vehicles, recycle, reuse, reduce food waste and increase local food productions. Our home planet Earth is in need of our help. We need to slow down the climate change in order to prevent millions of people on earth becoming homeless.

Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
More about the community at www.WindermereSun.com

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

Below, is a repost from one of our sister publications, Windermere Sun.

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Pope Francis since March 13, 2013

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On Wednesday, May 24, 2017, President Trump had the opportunity of meeting the Pope Francis in person, later stating the meeting being “honor of a life time“.

One thing one can say about Trump: he is not rigid. About a year ago, the Pope Francis commented that Candidate Trump’s call to build a wall (instead of a bridge) is not Christian. Trump respond angrily, saying “for a religious leader, to question a person’s faith is disgraceful.” But today, the Pope Francis and President Trump met each other with open hand shake. Pope gave Trump his encyclical, where he makes a passionate case for fighting climate change. At meetings today, the Vatican urged Trump not to drop out of the Paris Accord/Paris Agreement on climate change. President Trump promised to consider Pope’s request and said, “I won’t forget what you said.” Let’s hope that President Trump was truly moved by Pope Francis and will reconsider his position regarding climate change. Thank you, Pope, for being persuasive and helping the planet earth.

VOTE “NO” ON AMENDMENT 1 IN NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION

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I originally planned on posting another topic today, but after a short discussion on Amendment 1 of Florida with some people I’ve just met at NEC (National Entrepreneurship Center) , I would like to remind our fellow Sunshine Staters/Floridians that we have serious responsibility in assuring the growth and development of Solar Industry (utility scale as well as distributed solar) here in Florida, for solar energy is the solution to not just for the energy crisis but also environmental pollution, international conflicts, and climate change. Given that state of Florida is frequently visited by hurricanes, we need to insure the development of distributed solar (solar rooftops). Therefore, it is utmost important that we should Vote “NO” on Amendment 1 ! For further explanations as to why we should vote “NO” on amendment 1, please refer to one of my earlier posts, Vote “NO” On Amendment 1 In November!!!

To better understand the need of urgency for our earthly transition toward renewables, I’d like to share some videos below:

Yes, I believe that once each individual is out of the fog of confusion, he/she will choose the right way in helping to reach the solution. In this case, quick transition to renewables such as Solar and Wind Energy is what we should all aim for. Remember to share with your fellow neighbors, family members, friends, to Vote “NO” On Amendment 1 and be more conscious of how you live and how you vote. For such actions would help to determine the survival of millions of our fellow earthlings.

I’ve received quite a few response from this post through various social media, mostly positive and supportive. But there were few responses that are not supportive. I appreciate those who are on the opposing side to take the time to respond because it helps me to better understand where their belief came from. For example, one of the opposing side remarked below (in italics):

1. Looks, via net metering, non solar folks are having to pay for all the grid upkeep. Solar users pay nothing. You somehow say that not receiving this large subsidy is unfair. Not penalizing others so you can sell your product that can’t stand on it’s own is some how bad? You better learn to stand on your own. We are sick of holding you up.

My response: Firstly, I am not selling any solar product nor services and there is no discussion about subsidy here. I am simply a conscientious American and Floridian who cares about the planet earth and fellow Floridians and would like to see Homo Sapiens to occupy this planet for as long as possible and as few Floridians to become homeless as possible. If insisting on Floridian solar installers to pay extra fees (under Amendment 1), it would encourage solar users to go completely off grid. This would increase more difficulty for the grid (because if more solar users are connected to the grid the more they can help to relieve the grid pressure and reduce the cost or need of additional power plants to be build…this would help to reduce the utility cost for every one!) So, it would be wise for utility and Floridians to try to entice solar users to be connected to the grid rather than implementing measures to encourage them to go off grid. In terms of fairness, I believe it is not fair to have legislation to insist that you pay for the mortgage or rent of your neighbors when you are not using the house of your neighbors. This is the issue that is being addressed: why should solar users pay for the grid if they are not using it? It would be much wiser for every one to treat one another fairly, because only under sphere of fairness, cooperation is more likely to occur. This is why we need our regulatory agency to conduct research on Fair Value of Solar: http://windermeresun.com/2016/09/08/we-need-fair-value-of-solar-not-amendment-1/

2. This is pure crack. For all you fear mongers, how can you change the climate? The change in climate is normal and has been doing so for billion of years since the world was created. nothing can be done to change it, GOD’s CREATION IS PERFECT!!!

My response: It is the rate (how fast) of change that we are addressing because when it changes too quickly, human beings are not able to respond fast enough;therefore you end up having frequent flooding in Miami and some of the island countries are in the process of disappearing (so they have to look for homes for their people), as Floridian coastal residents….As for changing the climate: did you know that scientists can already modify/change weather conditions? The dramatic increase in CO2 emission is one of the main contributing factors to increased rate of climate change and global warming. The CO2 emission is due to human activity and our standard of living. So, it is our responsibility to try to slow down this rate of change if we care at all about our fellow human being (the poor in Africa, Asia, Europe, and USA/Florida). For it is the poor who will be paying the price of the wealthy who can afford to easily move to a different location. The irony is: it is those of us in the wealthy developed nations that have contributed the most to increased rate of climate change. Don’t you think your God would want you to help your fellow human being, by slowing down the climate change and be fair to all ?

3. The worst hurricane and flooding in Miami was 1926 when over 6,000 people were killed. Miami Beach is subsiding due to pumping out trillions of gallons of water over the last century. Sea level has risen about 9″ in each of the last 3 centuries and is not increasing no matter what AlGore is telling you. All of the alarmist are making dire predictions that never happen. James Hansen, the Father of Global Warming predicted in 1988 that in 25 years, Manhattan Island would be under water. That was 2013 and the actual sea level went up several inches. Did you know that most of Manhattan is lower than most of Florida. The US has not been struck with a major (Cat 3 hurricane or higher) in over 4,000 days. Media hype used by people who make their living from global warming. 18,000 years ago (a wink in geologic time), sea level was 270 feet lower than now and Florida was 900 miles wide. Chicago and NY were covered with over a mile of ice. Global warming has been going on in spits and starts since then and the notion that man kind is increasing the rate is not proven. Fear mongering is used to sell stuff by agenda driven people.

My response: I have been an engineer and a math professor for over 20 years. I am not selling any solar product or services, just a conscientious American and Floridian who felt compelled to try my best to help my fellow human being on planet earth by slowing down the climate change via advocating for solar energy and modifying my life style. If Amendment 1 is passed, it will very likely be able to destroy solar industry in Florida. Yes, climate has always been changing, but now we are particularly concerned about its rate (how fast) of change that will potentially be increasing the frequency of hurricanes (such as that of 1926). We had just been visited by Hurricane Matthew (up to Category 5 at certain parts of FL) within the last month. You need to view this film by Leonardo DiCaprio, explaining much about the issue of climate change, encouraged by Pope and UN and various scientific communities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90CkXVF-Q8M To give hope and optimism for our future generations, we need to play an active part in helping to slow down the climate change and encourage the growth of solar/renewable energy industries.If you are not afraid of truth and reality, you need to see this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90CkXVF-Q8M

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

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Thanks to President Obama for visiting Everglades of Florida on Earth Day and bringing attention to the importance of action in slowing the climate change in order to preserve our beautiful Everglades for future generations.

Did you know that many are celebrating April 22 as the Earth Day each year? Earth Day aims to inspire the awareness of and appreciation for earth’s environment. It is usually celebrated with outdoor performances such that individuals or groups perform acts of service to earth. Some simple acts you may want to consider participating in: planting trees, picking up roadside trash, becoming involved in recycling and conservation. Here at Sun Is The Future, since our mission is to spread the Sunshine to all parts of the planet earth by information/education via www.sunisthefuture.net, www.youtube.com/user/sunisthefuture, www.pinterest.com/sunisthefuture , www.facebook.com/sunisthefuture, https://plus.google.com/+SunisthefutureNet , micro-finance (to help entrepreneurs in different parts of the planet to establish small businesses in solar/renewable energy/energy efficiency/recycling via www.kiva.org/team/sunisthefuture, and online Sunshine Store at www.sunisthefuture.com . For we, the Solar Enthusiasts, believe that Solar Energy is the solution to: Energy-Pollution-Climate Change-International Conflicts. So, let’s add one more act of service to your Earth Day celebration: Share the Sun Is The Future with our fellow Earthlings, for we want and need to transition globally into the Solar/ Renewable Energy Age as quickly as possible. So please visit www.sunisthefuture.net and :

If you’re not a Florida resident, then think of ways to encourage more effective solar/renewable energy policy for your state. This web site has information for incentives for renewable energy & energy efficiency in all 50 states in USA.

If you’re not a USA resident, then think of ways to encourage more effective solar/renewable energy policy for your community/province/county.

There’s much we all need to do/act. Below, please allow me to share this video:

Ask yourself what it is that you can do to help increase the healthy longevity of our beautiful planet earth, below.

I just found out that today is actually also the 10th birthday of Youtube! To celebrate the existence of Youtube, allow me to share the VERY First Video that was uploaded on Youtube:

THANK YOU & HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOUTUBE!!!

Thanks to Youtube for enabling Sun Is The Future to be able to share much with our readers/viewers from over 186 countries (our sister publication Windermere Sun in more than 81 countries). We are eternally grateful for our connection to Youtube.

Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

~have a bright and sunny day~

Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics: www.sunisthefuture.net

Dear Friends, Visitors/Viewers/Readers,

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A piece of rather distressing, yet not surprising, news (from a Sunday Miami Herald‘s:a story from the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting) recently surfaced, revealing information from former Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) employees. Apparently, according to some former DEP volunteers, officials, and one attorney (former employee of the DEP Office of General Counsel in Tallahassee from 2008 to 2013) were told not to use the terms “climate change“, “sustainability“, or “global warming” in emails, reports, or official communications. This unwritten policy went into effect shortly after Governor Rick Scott took office in 2011. The former attorney, Christopher Byrd, is now in private practice as an environmental lawyer in Orlando and he did not agree with such unwritten policy.

In Orlando Weekly: When questioned by the Center for Investigative Reporting on the ban of these terms, the DEP insisted that it didn’t have a policy on the topic. But as we already know from looking into other areas of Scott’s administration, not keeping records about important communications, decisions and policies is part of how it does business.

In Miami Herlad: In 2014, in response to Gov. Scott’s comment that he “was not a scientist” when asked about his views on climate change, a group of Florida scientists requested to meet with Gov. Scott to explain the science behind the phenomenon. These scientists were given 30 minutes but really only had 20-21 minutes.

What can we do to protect our environment here in Florida? Firstly, we have to be well informed by conscientious government officials. We have to protect those who are willing to speak the truth and be insured of employment. So, this is what I’d propose: gather our previous posts of our sister publication, in Sun Is The Future, For Solar Landfills-More Help With Landfill Closure Requirements in Florida, Landfills+Community Solar=Great Opportunities & Savings, former FL-DEP attorney Christopher Byrd, and interested potential investors to become familiar with the concept and procedures in Start A Community Solar Garden/Farm. My fellow Floridians, there are much investment potentials here in Florida waiting to be discovered. For those of you who do not have huge sum of cash flowing around, you may consider pulling funds from various sources and form your own microfinance groups or ask the world to help you to convert your local landfills into community solar gardens via crowdfunding! Click on the “Loans & Grants For Small Businesses” of Windermere Sun and learn how to raise money from all corners of our planet. Then check with environmental attorney Christopher Byrd (407-502-5182 or 407-929-4628) for specific procedures in developing your community solar gardens/farms from landfills.

The world is so well connected that we need not dwell on the negatives! Our time is too precious to be wasted on the negatives! We need to concentrate our time, energy, and effort toward the solution. In my book, Solar Energy is the ultimate solution that will solve: Energy-Pollution-Slow Down Climate Change-Avoid International Conflicts. What are we waiting for, Floridians, let’s bring back the Sunshine To Our Beloved Sunshine State! Contrary to Governor Scott, we do not choose to wish the problem away by not talking about it, we need to talk about it and work toward the Solar Solution For Sunshine State!

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of NYC, other cities in USA and elsewhere in the world, on Sunday (September 21, 2014), Monday (September 22, 2014) and Tuesday (September 23, 2014), demanding world leaders to do more to take serious actions to slow the Climate Change. In NYC (New York City) alone, there were 310,000 people showing up to march for Climate Justice. So far, there is no global agreement on what to do regarding Climate Change, even though some countries have already taken actions in reducing CO2 emissions (such as Australia’s previous Carbon Tax, European nations (esp. policies by Germany, Italy, and UK), China’s, Taiwan’s, and Japan’s Feed-In-Tariff for Solar & Wind & switching from coal to natural gas, U.S. has switched from coal to natural gas and increased solar and wind installations). This largest climate march in history involves approximately 1500 organizations, but is mostly organized by AVAAZ (with membership of over 30 million people according to wikipedia) and 350.org . It has brought together great diversity of people from different social, economic, political, and religious affiliations. It is purposely designed to take place prior to the UN meeting on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, when discussion regarding future direction and finance associated with the topic of climate change will be taking place.

Here, at Sun Is The Future, we’d like to implore leaders of the world to consider implementing Feed-In-Tariff For Renewable Energy: Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) have proven to be the world’s most successful policy for delivering large quantities of renewable energy generation quickly and cheaply. It will help to develop vibrant renewable energy industries (solar-wind-water-geothermal-wave ) that will Reduce CO2 emissions, Slow Climate Change, Solve Energy Problem, Create Local Jobs, by using our abundant Sunshine and various Renewable Resources. We believe, by implementing Feed-In-Tariff For Renewable Energy, incorporating True Value of Each and Every Renewable Energy, Feed-In-Tariff For Renewable Energy will be implemented most effectively.

This is what hope looks like:

Above photo from @cynryan on Twitter

Below, is part of the email received from Jamie from 350.org

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On Monday, 310,000 people took to the streets of New York City to call for climate action — the largest climate march in history.

And on Tuesday, the world’s politicians will gather in New York to talk about climate action — 125 heads of state in total. They’ll be gathering with the knowledge that more people than ever are demanding action, not just words, and that their political future is on the line — as well as the future of the planet.

We will bring that message to the top leadership of the UN inside Tuesday’s summit, with a hand-delivered message to top UN climate negotiators. If you stand with the hundreds of thousands of people who marched today around the world, tell world leaders that you mean business: act.350.org/letter/ready-for-action/

Today people from the communities where fossil fuels are dug up marched alongside people who live where they are burned. Thousands of workers, the people who stand ready to build a clean, renewable energy system, walked alongside indigenous communities that are already leading with their own climate solutions.

New Yorkers, including those whose homes were wrecked by Superstorm Sandy, marched in huge numbers, standing alongside international ambassadors from communities responding to climate disasters worldwide.

The ripples of the People’s Climate Mobilization are already spreading. A people’s summit outlining the path to a just transition away from fossil fuels starts tomorrow, along with actions targeting corporate polluters in New York.

We hope the UN leaders have heard our voices and will seriously consider implementing Feed-In-Tariff For Renewable Energy With Incorporation of True Value of Each and Every Renewable Energy throughout our planet earth.

I’d like to share with you an interview at InterSolar North America 2014, in Moscone Center of San Francisco, CA on July 9, 2014. The future of the multi-billion dollar solar industry depends much on the progress in combining PV with energy storage. In this post, Sun Is The Future will present to you Ideal Power’s AWARD winning 30KW Hybrid PV Storage Converter (which is becoming the de facto industry standard to enable PV+storage integration). Ideal Power received its award on June 4th during a ceremony at InterSolar Europe in Munich, Germany, the world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry. Ideal Power’s technology stood out due to its ability to combine PV and battery systems with an efficiency level of up to 97%. It also provides modular flexibility for different applications, particularly in off-grid systems. Due to the dramatic improvement in size, weight, cost, and efficiency over conventional converters, the Hybrid Converter integrates multiple power sources (i.e. PV+storage+grid) to lower the cost of delivering grid resiliency during blackouts such as Superstorm Sandy. I can’t wait to get my hands on the 3-port Hybrid Inverter/Converter (125 lbs) that will enable us to be better prepared for future natural disasters without the dependence on the grid. Currently the 2-port converter system (100 lbs) is used for demand reduction in grid-tied system (currently used in Walgreen of Southern CA) whereas the 3-port converter will be in one box and creates its own microgrid during power outage.

Below, is an interview with John Merritt, Director of Applications Engineering, of Ideal Power, at InterSolar North America 2014:

Ideal Power’s hybrid converter is the first 3-port product to leverage the Company’s Power Packet Switching Architecture™ (PPSA), which allows it to combine PV inverter capabilities on one DC port, bi-directional battery converter capabilities on the second DC port, and provide an AC port supporting both grid-tied and off-grid applications. It can accomplish these functions with only a modest increase in product size and weight over its established 2-port battery converter and PV inverter products and with no loss of system efficiency. Conventional technology solutions to hybrid power conversion systems combining PV and storage require multiple power conversion steps, thereby reducing efficiency, and multiple power converter units, increasing size, weight and cost. (Ideal Power press release)

About Ideal Power Inc.Ideal Power Inc. (NASDAQ: IPWR) has developed a novel, patented power conversion technology called Power Packet Switching Architecture™ (PPSA). PPSA improves the size, cost, efficiency, flexibility and reliability of electronic power converters. PPSA can scale across several large and growing markets, including commercial Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), electrified vehicle charging, and solar photovoltaic generation. Ideal Power utilizes a capital-efficient business model to commercialize our technology through the use of contract manufacturing, product licensing, and market distribution channels. Ideal Power has won multiple grants including one from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) to commercialize bi-directional power switches, which are expected to improve power density by thirty percent and reduce efficiency losses by fifty percent. For more information, visit www.IdealPower.com.

Our President Obama has taken unprecedented action to build the foundation for a Clean Energy Economy, tackling the issue of Climate Change, and protect our Environment. I would like you all to be aware of this particular site, http://www.whitehouse.gov/energy, where you can sign up for energy and environment updates and be kept abreast of White House’s strategy on energy and environment. Below, is a short video clip representing President Obama’s position on Climate Change:

Be sure to contact our White House and President with your concern regarding energy and climate change/environment issues. Together, we can help to create a cleaner, healthier, and sunnier future.
~have a bright and sunny day~

Gathered and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

Any of your questions/comments/suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com

Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:

Remember, the goal of Sun Is The Future is: to speed up our earthly transition toward Solar/Renewable Energy Age because we want to help reduce CO2 emission, reduce pollution, solve energy problem, reduce the chance of international conflicts, and improve local economy by encouraging job opportunities in solar/renewable energy industries. We work toward our goal by:

For this post, we will be concentrating on one aspect of CO2 emission. Keep in mind that we can only manage what we can measure!

OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2), set to launch in July, 2014 (credit: NASA/JPL Caltech, design will also be available at www.sunisthefuture.com)

Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO)-2, set to launch in July 2014, will make precise, global measurements of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that is the largest human-generated contributor to global warming. OCO-2 observations will be used to improve understanding of the natural and human-induced sources of carbon dioxide and how these emissions cycle through Earth’s oceans, land and atmosphere. OCO-2, managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., will launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a Delta II rocket.

Yes, those are solar panels that you are seeing in the image above (and below). As a matter of fact, most of the space vehicles are powered by solar panels!

NASA's OCO-2 (credit: NASA/JPL Caltech, design also will be available at www.sunisthefuture.com)

OCO-2 in space (credit: NASA/JPL Caltech, design will also be available at www.sunisthefuture.com)

Why does NASA want to launch OCO-2 to take measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) from space? Due to our concern for climate change and the fact that we can only manage what we can measure. This is NASA’s first satellite designed specifically to measure the global distribution of atmospheric CO2 from space. This is done by measuring the sunlight bouncing off of earth’s surface. On its way through the atmosphere, this sunlight interacts with CO2 molecules in the air. Like other gases, CO2 only absorbs certain colors of light. OCO-2 is only tuned to look at these specific colors. By measuring amount of lights that are missing in each, amount of CO2 molecules that got in the way will be measured. As OCO-2 orbits around the earth each day, hundreds of thousands of CO2 measurements will be made. Such high density of measurements will provide us with far more information in how and where CO2 is traded between sources and sinks. Variations due to seasonal changes will also be more likely to be captured through data collected over weeks and months, helping us in arriving at better understanding of climate change. Take a look at the video below:

~have a bright and sunny day~

Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

Any of your comments/suggestions/questions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com

Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:

Sun Will Continue Shining Brightly During Year of the Horse (credit: sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker)

I’ve spent three years advocating for the spread of solar energy, researching, interviewing, learning, writing, posting, traveling in different parts of the world. Thanks to the existence of internet, worldwideweb, social networks, and forerunners who have accumulated and shared much knowledge and information with us. It’s truly opened my eyes to what the future may have in store for us, in energy, education, and how intricately connected we earthlings all are to one another (despite physical distances). Even though my original intention of starting Sun Is The Future was to help my on-site students to have better understanding of applications of solar energy and to encourage state of Florida legislators to implement the most effective incentive policy, Feed-In-Tariff, for adoption of renewable energy, I am thankful that Sun Is The Future has reached beyond the boundary of a nation or a continent, and has reached 167 countries and hopefully will complete the goal of all 196 nations on planet earth by the end of 2014.

This past year, in addition to having the fastest train, the most megacities, and the biggest population in the world, China has also become the Number 1 Country on planet Earth that has added the most solar power in a single year. No other country has ever added more than 8 GW (gigawatt) of solar power in one year prior to 2013. China is beating Germany’s record of 8GW (or 8,000 MW) from 2010. China’s National Energy Administration announced earlier in January that there were 12 GW (or 12,000 MW) of 2013 solar installations in China. This record means that China has installed more in one year of 2013 than U.S. had cumulatively installed, in total, since the beginning of solar PV module in existence or since the founding of U.S. The Bloomberg New Energy Finance Industry Intelligence database (tracking projects individually, identifying developer, owner, location and often equipment supplier or financier) already records 9.5 GW of projects built in China in 2013. More complete data will be provided later in March. China’s state-owned power generators China Power Investment Corporation, China Three Gorges and China Huadian Corporation have become the world’s largest owners of solar assets. Head of solar analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), Jenny Chase said,

“The 2013 figures show the astonishing scale of the Chinese market, now the sleeping dragon has awoken…PV is becoming ever cheaper and simpler to install, and China’s government has been as surprised as European governments by how quickly it can be deployed in response to incentives.”

BNEF estimates that in 2013 the global solar PV market had been 39 GW (or 39,000 MW), with an increase of 28% from 2012. This trend is expected to continue, with a 20% global volume growth in 2014. In 2014, the world will install as much solar PV in 12 months as the cumulative total installed solar since the invention of solar PV module to 2010. The world’s three largest solar PV markets in terms of new GW (or 1,000 MW) capacity in 2013 were: China, Japan, and the U.S., then Germany in fourth place. To this, I have to say that we all have much to thank Germany for having been the heaviest investor in solar for many years. China and Japan are both much better off keeping their eyes on the prize of solar energy, the ultimate solution to solve problems in Climate Change-Energy-Pollution-Prosperity-Security rather than fighting over the uninhabited Diaoyu-Senkaku. Finally, if only U.S. had come to realized and fully implemented the Feed-In-Tariff as China did, the Number 1 Country on planet Earth that has added the most solar power in a single year in 2013 would have been U.S. rather than China. Being an Earthling foremost, I applaud China for having implemented Feed-In-Tariff with such fervor, even without having fully appreciated how much impact and speed it would have on the deployment of solar. Now, as Thailand and many parts of Southeast Asia and rest of the world are also becoming believers in Feed-In-Tariff, I only wish that the state of Florida and many other states in U.S. will learn to appreciate this most effective incentive policy for solar and renewable energy. It is noteworthy that China, Japan, and Germany have all implemented Feed-In-Tariff at higher rate than what U.S. PURPA law required, avoided cost. If China would be able to maintain such an enthusiastic momentum for solar, there is the possibility of China becoming the Cleanest Country On Planet Earth by 2050! Keep your eyes on the Sun!

~have a bright and sunny day~

Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker

Any of your comments/suggestions/questions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com

Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics: